Youthful Dreams, Faded Scars

After their college entrance exams, Li Yingqiao and Yu Jinyang head north and south to study, both vowing not to return home until they've made a name for themselves. Ten years later, they both return home defeated and coincidentally meet again at a local barbershop. Li Yingqiao watches her former rival and friend as he tries to get justice for his terribly cut hair. Curious, she leans in to hear his complaint, just as she's about to laugh—

He notices her and glances over, then adds, “And you even let my idol see it.” “Compensate me with some money.” Li Yingqiao: “?”

A friend asks Yu Jinyang, “What’s your relationship with Li Yingqiao?” Yu Jinyang frankly replies, “Just ordinary friends, what else could it be?” A few days later, the friend asks Li Yingqiao, “You two were so close since childhood, isn't there anything more between you?” Li Yingqiao answers even more candidly, “Nothing, we’re just passersby A, B, C, and D.” Yu Jinyang doesn't think there's a problem.

But one night, halfway through his shower, the water cuts out. While waiting with a head full of foam, a thought suddenly pops into his mind: A, B, C, D. Where does he rank among them?

Childhood Sweethearts / Reunion After Long Separation / Ancestral Drama / Rivals

Tank Butterfly vs. Husband-Material Childhood Friend NOTE: 'Tank Butterfly' originates from a quote: 'A tank and a butterfly can coexist in the same woman' - Jian Zheng

Reader's Notes: Slow burn, mundane, small-town daily life, a slight ensemble cast. The protagonists are not perfect and have no real-life prototypes. This is a free story, updated four times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Update time: after 8 PM.